Auto-owners vs. Wolverine Mutual: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• In general, Auto-owners offers significantly more affordable prices than Wolverine Mutual
• Auto-owners offers more affordable premiums for single people who will be the only person on the car insurance policy
• Wolverine Mutual tends to be a much less expensive option for policyholders who live in rural neighborhoods

Auto-owners or Wolverine Mutual: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

Are you in the market for a new insurance policy? You've probably seen commercials and billboards from companies offering hefty savings, but exactly how much money can you save by switching?

You might have narrowed it down to Auto-owners or Wolverine Mutual as potential options, but which one will save you the most?

Looking at the national average rates for both carriers, Auto-owners is around $45 a month cheaper than Wolverine Mutual.

Even so, that doesn't mean Auto-owners will necessarily be less expensive than Wolverine Mutual for every driver. Insurance companies vary their rates depending on things like how old you are, how good your credit score is, how clean your driving record is, where you live, and a variety of other factors, so premiums will change quite a bit from person to person.

Wanting to know if Auto-owners or Wolverine Mutual is really the right company for you? Keep on reading to see how average prices can change based on all of the factors we've mentioned above.

Auto-owners vs. Wolverine Mutual: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Auto-owners and Wolverine Mutual only compete against each other in Michigan, where Wolverine Mutual offers the cheaper average premiums. Wolverine Mutual drivers tend to pay about $20 per month less on average compared to drivers who use Auto-owners for their car insurance.

But there's more to calculating auto insurance prices than just where you live. Read on to learn more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

You might already know that teen drivers generally pay a lot more for car insurance than any other group of drivers out there on the road. It's because teen drivers are statistically much more likely to get into accidents since they have less experience on the roads.

But still, even with seemingly sky-high rates, teen drivers can still find ways to save money. Just look at the table above -- where 18-year-old drivers who have Auto-owners for their insurance pay almost 10% less than those who use Wolverine Mutual. It's worth noting that Auto-owners offers auto insurance in 23 different states compared to Wolverine Mutual's one, which can skew the average prices a bit, but the difference here is still considerable.

But both carriers will lower rates by the time you turn 25. Wolverine Mutual offers the steepest drop, with 25-year-olds paying a third less what 18-year-old drivers are charged. That being said, Auto-owners still has the cheapest premiums at $164 per month.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Drivers around retirement age usually enjoy some of the lowest insurance rates you can find. After all, they've likely been driving for quite some time, which normally lowers their chances of collisions and other infractions that can raise prices.

So, which carrier offers the best premiums to retired drivers? Wolverine Mutual gets the edge, with prices for drivers 65 and older $14 cheaper than the national average for Auto-owners.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

You may not be aware, but car insurance rates tend to be more affordable for married drivers than they are for single policyholders. That's typically because married policyholders tend to own and insure more than one vehicle, which can often earn you a discount.

For single drivers, the difference in average premiums between these two companies is significant, with Auto-owners prices coming in at about 15% less than Wolverine Mutual's. The advantage for married couples with Auto-owners is also obvious, where drivers save around $55 a month.

Auto-owners or Wolverine Mutual: Average Rates by Gender

Men are statistically more likely than women to get pulled over for speeding or get into a collision. That means when it comes to auto insurance men will generally end up paying a little more.

Men normally pay about $10 per month more than women with Auto-owners; men and women end up paying the same monthly premiums with Wolverine Mutual.

When it comes to the most affordable rates for each gender, Auto-owners offers the cheapest average premiums for both men and women. On average, male drivers save about $39 a month and women save around $50 with Auto-owners compared to the average Wolverine Mutual policyholder.

Auto-owners vs. Wolverine Mutual: Compare State Minimum vs. Full Coverage Rates

*State minimum value indicates liability-only policies at each state's minimum bodily injury and property damage (BI/PD) limits

**Full coverage indicates state minimum BI/PD limits with collision and comprehensive coverages added to policy.

For most people, insurance can be pretty complicated. Everyone needs auto insurance, but there are so many different limits and coverages that it can be hard to find the right policy for you.

However, most policies that drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability coverage (which provides property damage and bodily injury coverage for other drivers if you cause an accident) and full coverage (which includes collision and comprehensive coverages that protect your own car, in addition to what you get with liability coverage).

Looking specifically at state minimum limits for liability insurance, Auto-owners has the edge, with average monthly rates coming in at $99. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, Auto-owners again has the edge, with policies averaging about $260 per month to Wolverine Mutual's $335.

Is Auto-owners or Wolverine Mutual Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

It's no secret -- drivers with good records end up getting the best deals on their car insurance. But that's not to say you can't save money if you don't have the best driving record, either.

You'll probably end up paying more with speeding tickets and accidents on your record, but which of these two carriers offers the lowest prices to drivers with less-than-perfect records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use Auto-owners for their auto insurance can usually expect their monthly bill to go up around 27% after getting a speeding ticket. Wolverine Mutual policyholders can expect a less drastic increase of about 17%.

That being said, Auto-owners is typically the cheaper option for drivers both with clean records and with a ticket -- their rates are around 17% less expensive for drivers with clean records and 6% more affordable for those with a ticket.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Both companies will increase rates pretty significantly if you get into an at-fault collision with Auto-owners increasing by around 28%. Wolverine Mutual has a less extreme raise, but you can still expect to pay more than 20% more than you were prior to your first accident.

At the end of the day, Auto-owners offers the most affordable premiums for drivers with an at-fault collision on their records, with average prices coming in at $168 compared to Wolverine Mutual's $188.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with a DUI?

If you get a DUI charge, you can expect some pretty significant increases in your monthly car insurance bill -- normally a lot more than a collision or speeding ticket. On average, Wolverine Mutual will increase your rates about 62% after a DUI, while Auto-owners's average premiums increase by nearly 55%.

Auto-owners has the overall cheapest prices for drivers with a DUI on their records at $264 a month, but it's worth noting that Auto-owners's average rates come from 23 states compared to just one for Wolverine Mutual, so the data may be skewed slightly.

How does Credit Score Impact Auto-owners and Wolverine Mutual Rates?

In many cases, your credit score can come into play when carriers determine your monthly bill. This isn't true for everyone (Massachusetts, for example, has banned the use of credit score as a car insurance factor) but it might come into play for many drivers.

The reasoning insurance companies use is that policyholders with bad credit will be less likely to pay their bills on time; so generally, they'll be asked to pay more, while those with good credit will be rewarded with less expensive rates.

So, which company offers the best premiums for drivers with poor, average, or good credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

Michigan is one of a just a few states that prohibits car insurance carriers from using credit scores to calculate prices. And since Wolverine Mutual is only available in Michigan, there is no data available on how credit score impacts rates because it's not a factor at all. This may be a good thing, since Auto-owners and other companies tend to raise prices quite a bit in other states if you don't have excellent credit.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

If you have less-than-stellar credit and live in Michigan, the good news is it won't cost you extra when it comes to auto insurance. As you can see, poor credit can really cost Auto-owners drivers in other states, but no need to worry if you live in Michigan.

Is Auto-owners or Wolverine Mutual Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

How much you drive can have a big impact on your monthly insurance bill. That's because the fewer miles you put on your vehicle, the less likely you are to be in an accident and file an insurance claim.

As you can see in the table above, annual mileage doesn't have much of an impact on how much Wolverine Mutual charges. However, there's a small difference in monthly premiums for Auto-owners, with drivers who put 6,000 miles on their car yearly paying around $1 less every month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles annually. Still, for drivers in both categories, Auto-owners is the cheaper carrier.

Auto-owners or Wolverine Mutual: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where your home is can have a substantial impact on your monthly car insurance payment. Usually, policyholders who live in heavily-populated urban areas will pay quite a bit more than rural drivers because of the number of vehicles that are on the roads where they live.

When comparing these two carriers side-by-side, Auto-owners boasts the most affordable average prices in urban and suburban areas, while Wolverine Mutual wins in rural areas.

If you live in a rural area, you can expect to pay about $137 monthly with Wolverine Mutual compared to Auto-owners's $164. People in suburban areas pay around $169 with Auto-owners compared to Wolverine Mutual's $192 per month. For drivers in urban ZIP codes, Auto-owners's average premiums are about $205 a month compared to Wolverine Mutual's $344.

Auto-owners vs. Wolverine Mutual Discounts

No matter why you might be in the market for a new auto insurance policy, you're always going to want to save as much money as you can, and the best way to do that is by taking advantage of as many insurance discounts as possible.

The hard part is finding all of the discounts you can take advantage of, since it can feel sometimes like every carrier has different discounts and each one is advertised differently.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and looked at all of the different discounts Auto-owners and Wolverine Mutual offer their customers so that you can easily see which company offers the most discounts and see which ones you might be able to take advantage of.

Auto-owners knocks Wolverine Mutual out of the park when it comes to the sheer number of discounts available, offering 15 more discounts than Wolverine Mutual.

There are a couple discounts both companies offer, but Auto-owners also offers discounts for advance quote, anti-theft, company car, and more.

On the other hand, Wolverine Mutual has a few proprietary discounts of their own like military discounts and seat belt discounts.

Final Thoughts: Is Auto-owners or Wolverine Mutual Best for You?

So, we've broken down the average prices for many of the variables car insurance carriers look at, and we've shown you all the discounts each company offers. That's all well and good, but when it comes down to it, which carrier is the best company for you, your vehicle, and your wallet?

Auto-owners might be best for you if....

• You have received a ticket within the last few years.
• You want the most robust protection via a "full coverage" policy.
• You live in an suburban area.

Wolverine Mutual might be best for you if...

• You live in one of the following states: Michigan.
• Your neighborhood is in a rural area.
• You're of retirement age and want to take advantage of lower rates.

Hopefully, this guide has ben a valuable resource as you compare Auto-owners and Wolverine Mutual and that you can now make a more informed decision when it comes to your auto insurance.

At the end of the day, the best way to make sure you're getting the best deal on your insurance policy is to compare quotes from multiple companies, not just Auto-owners and Wolverine Mutual. Luckily, Compare.com does all the hard work for you. Just enter your ZIP code below and get multiple free quotes from some of the best car insurance carriers in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Auto-owners vs. Wolverine Mutual FAQs

Is Auto-owners or Wolverine Mutual cheaper?

Auto-owners is the more affordable of the two companies when looking at national average prices, with policies averaging $179 per month with Auto-owners and $224 for Wolverine Mutual. However, that doesn't mean Auto-owners will be the cheapest company for each policyholder, since there are a variety of different factors (things like driving record, age, gender, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, Auto-owners or Wolverine Mutual?

Sadly, the only answer we can give you is "it depends.". Neither carrier is "better" for everyone -- it all comes down to what your unique insurance profile looks like. For example, Wolverine Mutual is less expensive for drivers who have already retired, while Auto-owners offers more affordable rates for single policyholders.

Why do Auto-owners and Wolverine Mutual offer me different rates?

Auto insurance carriers use several different variables when determining the premiums they charge. Things like where you live, gender, where you call home, age, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be used. Both Auto-owners and Wolverine Mutual calculate rates using different formulas, so it's likely they'll offer different prices. The best way to determine which company is the most affordable for you is by comparing personalized quotes from a bunch of different companies.

How do I know if Auto-owners or Wolverine Mutual is right for me?

The only way to find the car insurance carrier that's right for you is by getting quotes from a handful of carriers and finding the one best suited for your individual budget. Luckily, Compare.com makes it easy for you to do just that. Just enter your information once and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top auto insurance companies for free. That way, you can guarantee you're getting the best rate. And maybe you'll find that the best company for you isn't Auto-owners or Wolverine Mutual at all, but another you hadn't even thought of!

Methodology

All of the data referenced in this article has been gathered in collaboration with Quadrant Information Services. We analyzed more than 2.5 million rows of carrier-reported data to calculate the average rates referenced above. All rates are based on an insurance profile of a single-vehicle policy for a driver that owns a 2016 Honda Accord. For more information on how we calculate rates, please reference our data methodology.